Chapter 839: A Nightmare
Chapter 839: A Nightmare
Harry bolted awake, his eyes snapping open as he jolted up from his sleep. He reached up to gently touch his forehead, wincing as pain lanced through his scar. The lightning-bolt scar on his forehead throbbed painfully, as if someone had branded him with a red-hot piece of metal.
As Harry came to his senses, he turned and sat up, his forehead already beaded with sweat. He looked around in a daze, his eyes landing on Ron, who was snoring peacefully a short distance away.
What was that dream about?
Harry even recognized the two people in his dream. One of them was Peter Pettigrew, the small and stuttering Death Eater who had supposedly died in Azkaban not long ago. The other person had his back turned, sitting in an armchair, but Harry would never forget that cold, sharp voice... it belonged to Lord Voldemort.
There was no doubt that the person in the armchair was Voldemort himself.
And they had just murdered someone.
Harry furrowed his brow, trying to concentrate and recall more details. Yes, they had been talking about something, plotting some kind of conspiracy.
"What's wrong, Harry?"
Sirius Black's voice broke through Harry's thoughts.
"I had a nightmare," Harry replied.
He was still rubbing his forehead gently, trying to soothe the pain from the scar.
Sirius noticed Harry's gesture and frowned. "Does your curse scar hurt?"
"Yeah, the last time it hurt like this, Voldemort was close by," Harry said, his voice filled with concern as he glanced around the campsite at the Quidditch World Cup grounds. There were a lot of Ministry of Magic guards around, so it seemed unlikely that Voldemort could be nearby.
Sirius remained silent, his expression unreadable.
"What did you dream about?" he asked suddenly.
"I dreamed about Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew," Harry said, lowering his voice as he described the scene from his dream. "They were murdering someone, and they seemed to be plotting something. It felt so real, like it actually happened."
"You're right, Sirius," Lupin's voice cut in from nearby. "That scoundrel Pettigrew has indeed escaped from Azkaban."
"That's good," Black said through gritted teeth. "That bastard will pay for what he's done. He should have stayed dead and lain quietly in his coffin. Even if he crawled out, I'll put him back in his grave."
"Professor Lupin," Harry said, still a bit dazed. "Do you think my dream was real? I mean, it felt so vivid, but was it just a dream, or do I have some sort of prophetic ability? I've never heard of anyone prophesying through their dreams, though."
"I'm not sure," Lupin said cautiously. "But since the dream felt so real, it may mean something. We're not experts in prophecy, so we should find someone skilled in that area. Perhaps they can give you the answers you seek." Lupin was reluctant to make any hasty judgments, but it was clear that Harry's dream did not bode well.
"You mean Anderson?" Harry asked. When Lupin mentioned seeking a professional, the first person who came to Harry's mind was Dumbledore, followed by Albert.
Harry was hesitant to bother Dumbledore with this matter, and he wasn't even sure how to phrase such a letter. "Dear Professor Dumbledore, I apologize for disturbing you, but my scar hurt this morning." It all sounded rather absurd.
The headmaster was a busy man, and Harry didn't feel right about troubling him with this.
As for Albert Anderson?
Although Harry was reluctant to admit it, that mysterious fellow seemed to know a lot. It was even thanks to Anderson that he and Sirius were able to come to the Quidditch World Cup together, and while Anderson had charged a hefty sum, Sirius was still grateful for his help.
Ron, who had been sleeping nearby, stirred at the sound of their voices, opening his eyes sleepily before quickly drifting back to sleep.
"Let's go outside and talk," Sirius suggested, motioning for the others to step out into the kitchen so as not to disturb Ron, who was still slumbering. They quietly left the room and sat down at the garden table in the kitchen.
"Do you think the dream was real?" Sirius asked, lighting the oil lamp on the table and looking at Harry with concern.
"It felt very real, like it actually happened," Harry repeated anxiously. "I've heard that Anderson can see possible future events through his crystal ball."
"Perhaps we should write to Dumbledore and inform him of this," Lupin suggested.
"Yes, we should write to Dumbledore," Sirius agreed. "I'll do it." He paused, as if considering something, then asked, "Do you know when Albert is planning to arrive to watch the Quidditch World Cup?"
"Sirius, do you want Anderson to do a divination for you?" Harry guessed Sirius' intentions.
"Yes, his divinations are quite accurate," Sirius nodded.
"But doesn't he charge a lot for each divination?" Harry murmured.
"Isn't that normal?" Sirius asked, unconcerned about the cost.
"Normal?" Harry was a bit taken aback by Sirius' nonchalance.
"Of course, it's normal," Sirius said calmly, meeting Harry's confused gaze. "A true prophecy from a master seer would cost far more than that. In a way, his prices are quite reasonable."
"Reasonable?" Harry wondered if he had a different understanding of the word "reasonable."
"What do you want him to divine?" Lupin interjected, knowing that Harry needed a moment to process this new perspective.
"Perhaps we can ask him to divine Peter Pettigrew's location," Black said, his tone leaving no doubt that he intended to make Pettigrew pay for his crimes. "Or we could ask him if Harry's nightmare was real."
"Maybe we could try to get Albert to divine the conspiracy between Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew?" Harry suggested.
"A conspiracy?" Lupin and Black exchanged glances and shook their heads. "That would be difficult, Harry. Divination has its limits."
"All right, Harry, why don't you lie down again and get some more rest?" Lupin suggested, pulling out his pocket watch to check the time. "I'll go prepare breakfast. Is there anything you'd like to eat?"
"I don't have any particular cravings," Harry said, watching as Sirius pulled out a quill and parchment. "Is it really okay to bother Professor Dumbledore with this?"
"There's nothing wrong with it," Sirius said, feeling it was necessary to keep Dumbledore informed. "It will alert him to be more vigilant."
He had a strong hunch that if Pettigrew had indeed escaped from Azkaban, he would seek out Voldemort for protection.
The next morning, when Ron and Hermione woke up for breakfast, they found Harry looking rather listless, as if he hadn't slept well the night before.
Harry told them about the nightmare he had experienced the previous night.
Ron was completely dumbfounded when Harry mentioned Voldemort.
Hermione's eyes held a hint of worry, and she agreed with Lupin that they should inform Professor Dumbledore about this matter.
"Hermione, do you know when Albert is planning to come and watch the Quidditch World Cup?" Harry asked suddenly.
"Are you looking for Albert for something?" Hermione asked, puzzled.
Harry briefly explained about Sirius' intention to ask Albert for a divination.
"A hundred galleons for a divination? Are you sure that guy isn't ripping people off?" Ron exclaimed, astonished at the price Harry had mentioned.
"I have to admit, that price is a bit outrageous, but Sirius seems to think it's worth it." Harry still felt a bit gloomy about the whole situation, though he wasn't sure why.
Hermione, on the other hand, seemed hesitant to speak, as if she felt that Harry and Ron's way of thinking was problematic.
"What's on your mind, Hermione?" Harry asked, noticing her thoughtful expression.
"He should be arriving in the next few days, I believe. I recall him mentioning that he planned to come and watch the games with his girlfriend." Hermione replied with a complicated expression, "Perhaps you should ask Fred and George; they might have a better idea of his whereabouts."
"I'm afraid not," Ron frowned, "Fred and George borrowed my pig, and we don't have an owl to send a message. It's hard to get in touch with them right now." Ron's father had also planned to bring them to the Quidditch finals.
However, there was no conflict between the two plans, as Sirius might need to leave temporarily during the Quidditch finals to help Lupin through the painful period of his full moon transformation.
Fortunately, with the discovery of the Human Transfiguration Spell, Lupin did not have to endure much torment during the full moon.
"Don't worry, we'll definitely run into Albert sooner or later." Hermione reassured them, "By then, we can bring up the matter of divination."
"Are you two planning to join Fred and George in their scheme to make a fortune during the Quidditch World Cup?" Ron asked, as if he had just thought of something.
"Ron, gambling is harmful." Hermione frowned.
"You probably don't know that Percy also plans to take this opportunity to make a fortune." Ron paid no heed to Hermione's words, "It's a rare opportunity."
"Are you saying Albert plans to cheat using prophecies?" Hermione was taken aback.
"Cheating? That guy has incredible luck; does he even need to cheat using prophecies? I recall Fred and George telling me that Albert has never lost a bet." Ron was envious of Albert's luck as he recounted the magical stories he had heard from Fred and George.
"So, even before he enrolled, he bet on Fudge becoming the Minister of Magic on the train and won a hundred galleons." Hermione and Harry were equally astonished after hearing Ron's words, "And he was just starting school; he probably didn't even know much about the wizarding world back then!"
"That's why I'm saying his luck is incredible." Ron nodded seriously as if to reaffirm something, "You don't think he was cheating using prophecies when he had just enrolled, do you?"
"I'd wager that guy is loaded." Harry said casually.
"He certainly is," Ron agreed, his expression complicated, "According to Fred and George, Anderson participated in some sort of competition and won an international award. That guy earned two international awards and a huge sum of money during a single summer break, raking in several thousand galleons."
"The International Alchemy Conference, to be precise." Hermione corrected, "Albert gave me a small packet of rose hip tea as a souvenir from Egypt."
"Several thousand galleons."
Although Harry was not lacking in money, hearing about Albert's effortless earnings of several thousand galleons made him feel like they were living in different worlds.
"You have no idea," Ron continued, "Mom found a stack of order forms and a long price list while cleaning Fred and George's room the other day. Fake wands, joke candies, they've invented all sorts of hilarious stuff, and they're planning to open a joke shop. Mom was so furious, but there was nothing she could do to stop them. In the end, she had to compromise and stop interfering."
Speaking of shops, Harry suddenly remembered something.
"Sirius seems to be planning to open a shop with Professor Lupin, but they haven't decided on what kind of shop yet." Harry said abruptly.
"Why would Sirius suddenly want to open a shop?" Ron was perplexed, feeling that Sirius' extravagant spending habits might lead to losses if he ventured into business.
"I'm not sure." Harry shook his head.
"I think I might know why." Hermione interjected.
"Why?" Harry and Ron asked in unison.
"Perhaps he wants to give Professor Lupin a job." Hermione said with a complicated expression, "With Professor Lupin's identity, it would be difficult for him to find a suitable and respectable job. Sirius, being his good friend, probably doesn't want to see him struggle, so he came up with the idea of opening a shop to provide him with a decent livelihood."
At that moment, the three of them fell silent, each lost in their thoughts.
This seemed to explain why Sirius had suddenly wanted to open a shop.
"However, running a business is no easy task." Hermione, too, was skeptical of Sirius' plan, "If it's not managed well, I doubt that shop will last long."
Once again, the three of them lapsed into silence, facing the harsh reality that running a business was indeed challenging.
"Maybe we can suggest that Sirius seek Albert's help." Ron suddenly spoke up, "If Sirius truly intends to give Professor Lupin a job and doesn't expect the shop to make a profit, as long as he's willing to share a portion of the earnings with Albert, that guy will definitely find a way to ensure their shop doesn't end up losing money and going bankrupt."
"Moreover, once they become acquainted, Albert might even waive the divination fee. He's always been generous to his friends."
Even Harry had to admit that Ron's last statement was true; Anderson had been exceptionally kind to Hagrid, never asking for a single galleon in return for his help. He had also made it possible for the Weasley brothers to realize their dream of opening a joke shop.
"You're right; I'll mention it to Sirius." Harry agreed, sincerely hoping that Professor Lupin could find a respectable means of livelihood.
(End of Chapter)
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